9 stretches for better sex top trainers swear by

Stretching does a whole lot of good for your body. It helps you avoid injuries, minimizes post-workout soreness, and can even improve your athletic performance. In fact, it’s so important that there are now entire boutique classes dedicated to it. But its benefits don’t just stop at your fitness routine—it can also majorly improve your sex life.

When you’re having fun between the sheets, you want to feel your best—and that means not dealing with cramps from being too tight during new positions or, you know, pulling a muscle. Plus, aside from being able to make your way through your Kama Sutra book pain-free to figure out what works best for you and your partner, you’ll also be able to strengthen your bond since increased flexibility can bring you closer together literally and figuratively.

If anyone knows how to improve your sex life through stretches alone, it’s some of your favorite fitness pros. And these are the best ones to start with.

1. Heart opener

“This is great to prepare the spine for an increase in range of motion, and maybe a hair whip or two. While standing, arch your back as far as you can. Drop your head back; hold for 3 seconds. Then, contract your body forward to round the spine. While dropping your head forward, hold for 3 seconds. This is preferably done to your favorite tune from the 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack.”

2. Goddess status

“This stretch is perfect to warm up your body for flexibility in your hips and inner thighs—and get you ready to finally attempt those tricky Kama Sutra positions. Starting in a typical runner’s stretch, take it a step further and bring your forearms down all the way to rest on the floor. Hold it for 30 seconds, if you can handle it.”

3. Libido lasso

“Feel your Kundalini rising from that root chakra, and get ready to cast a spell your lover will not soon forget. Standing with your feet wider than your hips, bend your knees, put your hands on your hips, and begin to create figure 8 formations using your hips. Press the hip front, then round it out toward the back, alternating sides as fast—and as long—as you like it.”

4. On top warm-up

“Get ‘on top’ of your game by making sure your quads are ready for some serious reps, you overachiever, you. On the ground, stretch one leg out, and bend the opposite leg to the side of you. As you’re comfortable, start to lean back to the floor behind you to feel the stretch. Extra credit if you can get your back all the way down on the floor. Hold it for 30 seconds.”

5. Cat cow

“Cat cow stretches the muscles in the back and belly, allowing for more movement in the spine. The movement also does work at the pelvis by tilting it in both directions.”

6. Lizard pose

“Lizard pose targets your hip flexor and groin and allows for more movement in the hips, including the ability to get lower in positions, such as a squat or lunge.”

7. Glute bridge

“Yes, the glute bridge strengthens the glutes, protecting the lower back, but double-whammy: When the glutes are activated in a glute bridge, it allows for a pretty sweet opening in the hip flexors due to the hip extension happening.”

8. Happy baby and malasana squat

“Happy baby and malasana squat are great for opening up the hips, which can make for a closer, deeper connection. These stretches are also good for helping you prevent hip cramps. Because there’s nothing worse than a road to orgasm roadblocked with a hip cramp.”

9. Tadasana

“Lifting the pelvic floor in a pose as simple as tadasana gives you great alignment and a sense of grounded confidence and power, which is helpful for sex and connects you to your sex organs, practicing radical embodiment.”